Peter Tong has asked me to contribute something to the Lighter's 40^th Anniversary Reunion Book. I have been beating my brain ever since trying to think of something to write. Having been nicknamed "Jokesing"　(竹升）, commonly given to American-born Chinese who is fluent neither in English nor in Chinese cultures, tells the whole story. It was a nickname given to me by the many Pui Ching upperclassmen I met in UC Berkeley in the early 60's. It was in Berkeley when I first met S. S. Lau (劉紹偉).

The reason they called me Jokesing was that I had been in the United States earlier than the rest and that I was not a graduate from Pui Ching. I received my high school education in the United States after finishing 8^th grade in Pui Ching in 1955. Therefore, both my Chinese and American education were limited. I was in the class of "LOVE" during the 8^th.

Because I did not graduate with the class in 1959, my recollection is limited to the four years between the 5^th and the 8^th grades. I hope many of you, those I have not met since then, still remember me. I can still recall those days vividly when we played Ping-Pong, pinball machines, swing, marbles….. One thing I remember well was that a few of us used to climb the Ho Man Tin Hill (何文田) behind the campus pretending to study for the exams. What we ended up doing was playing Hide&Seek and forgot to study. Fortunately, we managed to pass most exams. I also remember several of us called ourselves the "GOOD PEOPLE Limited (好人有限公司)".. Although the name sounds threatening, we were good kids. I was, at that time, nicknamed "Superkid". I don't recall if it was because of the fact that I managed to pass the exams without having to study hard or that I flew off the swing set while swinging and hit the retaining wall head-on like "Superman".. Unfortunately, the wall did not give. I often wonder if that had any residual effect (mental blockage) that retarded my mentality in my later life. I will never know.

carried the same study habit to the US. I cruised through high school without having to study hard and still placed on the honor roll each year. I entered UC Berkeley and was placed in honor classes of Calculus and Chemistry. My lack of study discipline, lack of interest in compulsory military training (ROTC), and the difference between UC and the high school finally took its toll and I paid the price.

I later transferred to Los Angeles to complete my college degree. It was in Los Angeles when I first met Ivan Choi (蔡葉強).. We got into a conversation because I was reading Chinese Kung Fu magazine during an organic chemistry lecture. Then I met Walter Tsui (崔衍和).. We became good friends. Again, my interest was not in study. I was more interested in fishing, catching frogs, fixing cars, etc. (everything else except study). At one point, I remember that I had cut eleven weeks of classes in Advance Analytical Chemistry in one semester! Still, what happened next I blamed it on the Military Draft Board. All along, I was trying to use schooling to avoid the military draft. Dodging the military was quite serious then because of the Vietnam conflict. I would receive an induction notice each school year right around the final exam time. In the end, I ran out of excuses after graduation and was drafted into the US Army.

Fortunately, one of my chemistry professors had been in the Army before. He wrote a letter of recommendation to place me in the Chemical Corps where he had served. That prevented me from being assigned to Vietnam duties. Ninety-six percent of the soldiers in my basic training class were sent to Vietnam. Most of them were college grads also. I was assigned to Edgewood Arsenal (Headquarters of the Chemical Corps) in Maryland as a research chemist. At least, my time in the army was not a total loss.

After fulfilling my military obligations, I remained in Maryland to work for the army until this day. My career is not that exciting and there is not much to write about. I have mainly been involved in the development of chemical agent detectors for detecting trace levels of chemical warfare agents such as GB, HD, and VX. There is much talk presently to ban such chemical weapons. Therefore, working with chemical agents is a "sunset" industry. But, with chemical and biological agents being referred to as the poor country's atomic bomb, these agents are always potential threats to this country and the world. Continuing improvements to these detectors will always remain necessary. This will, in my opinion, prolong the "sunset" indefinitely. In the end, those developments will set the pace of my own "journey into the sunset".

Suddenly, I realize that this letter is getting too long. I hope you are not bored by my "contribution" to the yearbook. It represents the last 40 plus years of me. It provides a little background about me for those Lighters whom I have not met or have the privilege to know. For those who knew and remembered me, I still am the same as I was (very little changed in personality). I always like to play and joke and take nothing too seriously. I have enjoyed the many gatherings where I met and befriended many Lighters. I also enjoyed being in contact with Lighters electronically. Thanks to those who have kept the Lighter family united. I hope we shall see each other during the 40^th Reunion of the Lighters in Toronto. Special thanks to Gina and the Toronto Lighters for hosting the coming festivities.

Regards,

Kwok Yung 鄧國勇